Falling oil prices dragged down Canada’s main stock index to its lowest point this year, as U.S. markets also plunged into the red.
The S&P/TSX composite index fell 139.21 points to 15,955.51, with energy stocks leading the broad-based decline. The last time the TSX closed below 16,000 was Dec. 6.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average lost 362.59 points to 26,076.89. The S&P 500 index was down 31.10 points to 2,822.43 and the Nasdaq composite index gave back 64.02 points to 7,402.48.
The Canadian dollar closed at an average trading value of US81.12¢, up 0.05 of a U.S. cent.
In commodities, the March crude contract fell US$1.06 to US$64.50 per barrel and the March natural gas contract was up US3¢ to US$3.19 per mmBTU.
The April gold contract was down US$5.10 to US$1,340.00 an ounce and the March copper contract was unchanged at US$3.19 a pound.